The Lifeline Project helps inmates early in their sentences to develop
the perspective and skills needed to integrate into the community. The majority
of lifers (75%) have never been in a penitentiary before (Church Council on
Justice and Corrections, 1996). Inmates serving life sentences are helped with
the management of their sentences, including the encouragement that they do not
get hypnotized by the prison routine. Project in-reach
workers, most of whom are lifers released on full parole, work closely with
many of the offenders serving life sentences in Ontario federal institutions.
The job of in-reach workers includes one-on-one interviews with incarcerated
lifers, giving pointers to newcomers on how to survive in the prison culture,
keeping inmates informed about judicial reviews, helping to formulate release
plans, advising families on how to improve the offenders chances of early
release, sharing program information with classification officers and assisting
with communication problems. The Project also attempts to address the issue of
increasing inmate trust of the corrections system by providing the services of
an in-reach worker who can act as a sounding board for offenders who dont
want to talk to someone taking notes. As successful as the Lifeline Project has
been, it has not gone past the first phase of its development.

Phase two of Lifeline was to be the establishment of a halfway house for
lifers in Windsor, with phase three being the evaluation, revision and
expansion of the Project to other parts of Canada. Unfortunately, taking into
account zoning problems, funding and public sentiment, the halfway house for
lifers has not materialized (Personal communication, St. Leonards Society
staff member, 1998). It is felt that it is very unlikely to ever have a house
designated specifically for lifers. Presently, there are nine beds devoted to
lifers at the St. Leonards Society Correction Rehabilitational Facility
in Windsor.

However, the biggest challenge facing the Projects continued
development is gaining the necessary community support. It is felt that the St.
Leonard Societys situation is one in which the community recognizes that
the organization is a good neighbour and is committed to keeping the community
up to date and protected (Personal communication, St. Leonards Society
staff member, 1998). Overcoming the communitys fear of the unknown and
letting the public know that while a convicted murderer has committed a very
serious crime, lifers have also proven themselves to be the best parole risk
types.

Much of the discussion over the past 20 years on how to resolve issues
regarding the sentencing of convicted murderers has revolved around the death
penalty versus long term incarceration. A percentage of Canadians oppose any
opportunity for an offender to receive parole before 25 years for first degree
murder and wish to see consecutive (rather than concurrent) sentencing for
multiple killers (DArcy, 1997). In fact, many want the return of the
death penalty for the most serious murders. Canadian public opinion polls have
consistently revealed that the majority of the population favours reinstatement
of the death penalty (Griffiths & Verdun-Jones, 1994). When contacted, a
representative for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police stated that the
association favours restoring capital punishment for certain crimes such as
cop killings. (Personal communication, 1998).

Groups such as the Canadian Police Association have a goal to convince
government members of, among other things, the need for tougher sentences,
tighter parole and the repeal of Section 745. Warren Allmand, now president of
the Montreal based International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
Development, was Solicitor General in 1976 when parliament adopted Section 745.
In opposition to groups such as the Canadian Police Association, Allmand says
he is disheartened by what he calls the prevalence of public misconceptions
about the judicial review clause. He believes peoples perception of the
process is totally distorted. Most people think it is a relatively easy process
to get out of prison, which could not be farther from the truth, according to
Allmand (DArcy, 1997).